The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-21
CHANGING FOR TEACHERS.
A Singular Bill in the Georgia Legislature
Invoking the Spirit of the Dark Ages


Atlanta Letter in New York Tribune.
There is at the present time an interesting
bill before the Georgia Legislature. 1t is en-
titled "A bill to regulate the manner of conduct
Ing educational institutions in this State and to
protect the rights of colored and white people
and provide penalties for the infracton of this
act 1t provides that school or other educa-
tionai institution conducted for the education of
colored people shall receive as q pupil any white
person, and that no school or other educational
institution conducted for the education
OF white people shall receive as
. pupil any colored person Any
teacher or manager of said institutions violating
this act shall be guilty Of a misdemeanor pun
ishable by a fine ITO exceed 81, 900, imprison-
ment not to exceed six months or work on a
chain-gang not to exceed twelve months any or
all. in tho discretion of the court If the ins,i-
tuition is chartered, not only the teachers but
the president, secretary. members of the board
of trustees other persons filling the cor
responding Offices. who shall knowingly permit
this act to be violated. subject to indictments
and punishment. Such, in brief. is the bill, as
outlined in the Atlanta Constitution on July IL.
Why is such bill introduced The following
facts will show the answer In 1867 the Ameri-
Missionary Association secured a charter
for the Atlanta University, and founded that il
n.
But the ell-known principles of the association.
admitting distinctions the ground Of
color. forbade the closing of its doors any
worthy student who might apply for admission.
The money to start that school, buy the
grounds. erect the buildings. furnish them.
make improvements, etc, all
tributed by benevolent people at the North.
Into the grounds and buildings as they
stand to-day there have been put something over
Sl5OOO0-every cent OF 1t contributed by friends
in the North. In addition to this. Northern con-
ha
penses of the institution on an average since
1867 about $40. 900 year That TO say, Chris
tan people at the North have given the State of
Georgia to help educate her children in this
institution something $3.50 000 But the
money Is by far the smallest part of the contri-
button The culture piety. noble character and
conservation of the teachers. graduates of North
ern colleges and normal sschools have made the
Atlanta University model school to initiate and
constant inspiration to the development of the
educational interests of the State There have
been, however, for several years past. a few
white pupils in the schools. These the
children OF tho professors, and in one instance
child of a missionary of the American Mission
airy Association. The reason for the presence
of these white pupils were three: ~ The prin-
clples on which the institution was founded ~
tho fact that there was no school in Atlanta
where the children could receive thorough
training and discipline. and t31 The sentiment
OF the people against ''nigger teachers" was
such that to ssnd the children to the white
schools would have been to subject them
ostracism and insult If it were not for the first
Ostracism and insult are the condemnation Of
those who infict; the honor Of those who suffer.
But the anwer is not yet complete. In the
distribution OF a national grant of public lands
for education in the several States, Georgia re-
ceived $270, 600 script. the interest on which
amounts to something over $4,000 year This
money was given, let it not be forgotten, by a
Republican Congress, and the act giving it
signed by Republican PRESIDENT And what
did the State OF Georgia do with itl Appropri-
ated every cen: of it to it's white State universe
ty at Athens. With nearly one-half of its State
population colored, it took the Nations gift for
the benefit of the whole State and put it where
The coored people could have no share in it what
ever. Somebody discovered that this clearly
a misappropriation of funds, and that il
the United States Congress shoud learn of it
there would probably be music in the air" of
kind Georgia would not like to hear and so the
State Legislature generously voted that it
would appropriate &c. 900 year for the education
of colored youth in the State2 And this money,
the GIFT of the United States to Georgia,
always spoken of as State appropriation and
quoted as an evidence Of the wonderful interest
the State takes in negro education But what
would SIS, 900 year accomplish for the training
of teachers to supply the wants of the 725 900
colored people in Georgia. How far would it go
in the purchase of grounds erection and equip
ment OF buildings, and the salaries of teach
ersF l. is simply lauehable to ask
hand, grounds. buildings, equipments. teachers
every thing in operation Having been placed
oy the American Missionary Association in the
hands of it's own board of trustees and being un.
UNCONVENTIONAL and unsectarian in all respects
why not appropriate the money to this school
The State Legislature appointed committe
look into the matter. The committee visited
the school. were profoundly impressed with its
excellence and unanimously and enthusiastically
reported in favor of having the appropriation &c
to the school Every year since then the appro-
priation of that Sc, 900 has gone to the Unlver
sity. Every year since then the report of the
State Examiners has been highly eulogistic
But this year tho examiners discovered thai
there were a few white children, the children OF
the professors and the child of the missionary
already referred to. in the school. and they have
become riehteousiy indignant over this misap.
preparation OF funds. The money, say they,
was given exclusively for the education o.
colored pupils and behold, some white pupils
are receiving the benefit from i'll The people OF
the North last year contributed $4,000 toward
tho running expenses of the school, and the in
$erest on the in vsstment also given by the people
of the North is So, 900 more, and to this $40 0Od
the State Legislature added 49, 000 which is, after
all, not theirs but gift to them by the
people Of the United States for education; and
attended this school. moro than two thirds the
funds to run which the North contributes, and
the remaining less than ons-third comes from
the people Of the Unined States, albeit that it il
in tho form of a State appropriation from
Georgia. this committee think that the colore,
people are not getting their full $4,000 worth o;
Of the answer to the question why the bill above
referred to has been introduced to tn,
Georgia Legislature. Antiouarians will b,
specially interested in this bill, since it show
that some people who lived in the dark ages
not dead yet. else that the souls of those whit
lived in the far-Away past have. by some process,
OF transmigration, got back into the bodief
of people who are now living and moving ant
having an Anticipated being in the State o
Georgia. The word old is too new to describf
them Ever older will not answer. Oldest i
hardly equal to tho occasion. Mossbacks of thu
antediIuyian period moderns in comparso.
to ehem They do not seem to know that this i
the ninteenth century and that we live in fret
America
Difference in Candidates.
Milwaukee Sentinel.
Certainly Blaine, and Sherman, and Lincol
and Allison are men quite unlike Mr. Cleveland
In many respects 1t is not expected that those